Existential by Max Henry:Release Blitz + Review

How much suffering can a man withstand
before he finally breaks? A question I used to ask myself often. Now I know the
answer.

As president of the Fallen Aces MC Fort
Worth chapter, I’m looked to for guidance in times of crisis. I’m expected to
set personal grievances aside and lead by example. Yet how can I do that when
those grievances robbed me of my family, my life? My reason to be at the head
of the table?

My father: murdered. My baby sister: killed
the same day. And my other sister? A mystery. I’m drowning in my desolation and
yet nobody seems to care. Or maybe it’s the fact I won’t let them close enough
to help? Either way, my losses are my own, and I’ll deal with them the only way
I know how—by punishing myself.

I’ve got it all figured out, at least, I
thought I did. Until one woman, a traveller passing by, unravels the master
plan. I see it in her eyes, the same distance, the same feeling that she
doesn’t belong—that her time here is wasted.

One woman who mirrors me in every way, and
suddenly I find a reason to hold off the reaper a little longer. A reason to
stay at the head of the table. A reason to show those who’ve hurt me that,
although they brought the beast to its knees, I won’t lay down to die without a
fight.

Existential
is book number four in the Fallen Aces MC series, but can be read as a
standalone.

Existential is such a fast paced, thrilling and exciting ride. Mrs. Henry knows exactly what she's doing in this romantic suspense. Things you never saw coming and the reality of what's to come is surreal.

I enjoyed every single minute of this gripping read and absolutely fell in love with not only Hooch, but Dagne as well. Each character has their own version of bad assery and so much sex appeal. Trying to keep her promise and see through on the what she originally set is difficult, but Dagne tries her hardest to keep it. The way that Hooch slowly falls for her is so sweet and endearing. You will definitely be rooting for these two. With the hell that they have been through, you can't help but anticipate that happy ending that you want, oh so badly.

Be sure to pick up your copy of Existential. This is my first read by Max Henry and it definitely will not be my last!

He reaches out and threads
his fingers under mine, bringing our joined hands between us on the floor. “Do
you think it’s weak if a man admits his fears?”

I frown, squeezing his hand
tight. “No.” Why would he even think that? “I think it’s honorable. It takes so
much bravery to admit you have faults.”

“You think?”

“I know.” After all, aren’t I
the authority on keeping faults a secret?

He sniffs, staring at the
toes of his boots where they rest against the base of the washer. “Since
everything went to shit last year, I get … I guess the only way to describe it
is angry at myself.”

“What for? Do you blame
yourself for what happened?”

His head drops back again,
and he closes his eyes as his thumb traces a path on the back of my hand.
“Yeah, but I know I shouldn’t. Still, knowin’ what I’m thinkin’ is wrong
doesn’t make it go away. I still blame myself for everything, still hate myself
for it.”

“That’s natural, though. You
went through something traumatic, from what you’ve said of it, so you’ve got
strong reactions that need a place to rest.”

“I went on a bender after
they died,” he explains, opening his eyes to stare at the ceiling. “Drank,
binged on coke, picked fights with my friends, and it wasn’t until I couldn’t
remember what it was like to be straight that I finally realized why I did it.”

“Distraction?”

“To die.”

A lump lodges in my throat as
I take him in. At face value he’s strength and dominance. He’s a huge guy,
intimidating to those who don’t know him, with his black clothing, leather, and
piercings. He puts out an image of power, over others, and himself. But
underneath it all he hides this.

“Don’t,” I utter. “Don’t say
that again.”

“Why?” He rolls his head to
look me in the eye. “It’s the truth, Dagne. I don’t want to do this anymore.
Every day is hard. I wake up wishin’ it was time to go to sleep again, dreadin’
the day before it’s even happened.” His face moves through frustration and
anger, glimpses of pain and despair between. “You have any idea what it’s like
to just want to curl up in a ball and pretend the world doesn’t exist?”

“Yeah, I do,” I say. “I also
know what it’s like to want to die. To know you’re too gutless to do it
yourself, so you wish for something that’ll do it for you, like an illness, an
accident, or a masochistic fucking father who hates the fact you breathe the
same air as him.” Hooch’s eyes go wide, and I realize in that moment tears
streak my cheeks. But fuck it—he needs to hear it. “I also know what it’s like
to be hurt so bad that you finally believe that day has come, and in that
second your foolishness and selfish thoughts come back to haunt you. What it’s
like to realize when you’re faced with your own mortality that you don’t want to die … you just wish you
were someone else, living another life.”

“Dagne—”

“Ah.” I lift my finger to
stop him. “Nope. I’m not finished, mister.”

A
small smile plays at the corner of his lips, and he reaches out to wipe my
tears. “Carry on.”

“What you have to face is
that you have the power to be
somebody else. Fuck what your head tells you, Hooch. Your mind is a goddamn
liar. It feeds off your fear, shows you your flaws while hiding your strengths.
If you’re not happy,” I say, jabbing him in the chest, “change it. Do something
about it. But don’t quit.”

“I’ve tried.” He captures my
hand, focusing on the flesh of my palm as he traces the lines with his finger.
“I really have, but my battery’s run dry, girl.”

“No,” I say, shaking my head.
“It hasn’t. You just haven’t found what charges it yet.”

Max is the author of dark, and highly
emotional romance. Her Butcher Boys series is centered around a group of
ex-street kids who have teamed up with an indebted motorcycle club to take down
a notorious drug lord. And her new series, the Fallen Aces MC, is a spin-off
from this dark and dangerous world. Her writing has been described as
'gripping', and 'addictive', taking you on an 'emotional roller coaster ride'.

Originally born and bred in New Zealand,
Max now resides with her family in beautiful and sunny Queensland, Australia.
Life with two young children can be hectic at times, and although she may not
write as often as she would like, Max wouldn't change a thing. When she's not
engrossed in her dark and twisted fictional worlds, she can be found enjoying
the outdoors while 4wd-ing with her family.